1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to communications protocols and communications systems related to Global System for Mobile (GSM) cellular Personal Communications Systems (PCS) radio networks. In addition, the present invention relates to the application of GSM communications control channel protocols, and network protocols for Continuous Custodial Electronic Monitoring (CCEM) applications for home arrest systems, keep a-way systems, child protection systems, personal protection-911 systems, and medical alert systems. These applications utilize Global Positioning System (GPS), Loran C, Dead Reckoning, and other location correlating telemetry tracking systems, for location monitoring and whereabouts verification.
2. Description of Related Art
A variety of operations standards, methods and apparatuses have been proposed in recent years for enabling a more efficient means of providing continuous custodial electronic monitoring (CCEM). Most of these systems are antiquated, insecure, and inadequate in terms of technical and logistical operations. Most home arrest systems are stationary and depend upon landline telephone network infrastructure. Circuit switched voice channel cellular have been proposed and tested, but are expensive and not secure. The present invention utilizes Global System for Mobile (GSM) a high tier, low density version of proposed Personal Communications Systems (PCS). The GSM originally utilized in Europe is the system that all PCS systems are derived from, in the U.S., Europe and Asia. These PCS cellular systems include two way digital voice services, two way paging, two way point-to-point short messaging, point to omnipotent broadcast information messages, voice mail, single number services, electronic mail, internet access and other related services. Other services proposed include motor vehicle fleet management, motor vehicle anti-theft, and other topographical coordinance systems that provide location data bearer service processing centers, also known as central monitoring stations. But all of these services operate on digital traffic channels and short messaging channels that utilize significant portions of system capacity, do not offer a high degree of operations flexibility, and are to costly to the custodial facilitator, and end user in terms of service and equipment cost. Heretofore, it has not been proposed to utilize digital access and cellular digital control channels as a means and methodology to transmit and manage data packets that contain information that reveal home arrest subject behavioral status, identification, and current location information to CCEM program custodial staff. Other systems such as wireless Cellular Data Packet Data (CDPD) operate on existing analog and digital cellular networks. But, CDPD is expensive to apply to a cellular network. CDPD has an overly complicated protocol, and end user equipment is expensive. Also, CDPD is not designed to handle short messaging very well, the system is specifically designed for the purpose of transmitting and receiving large data files from computer to computer. Additionally, heretofore no method or apparatus provides a truly efficient, versatile, practical and secure wireless radio based continuous custodial electronic monitoring (CCEM). The present invention also can utilize such cordless telephone standards as CT2, CT2+, digital and European Cordless Telephone (DECT) standards that are low tier high density extensions of the GSM standard.
There is a clear need for an efficient, accurate, robust and low cost means and method for providing two way data packet messaging that support continuous custodial electronic monitoring (CCEM) services that will operate within all cellular mobile radio systems, and personal communications systems (PCS) control and access channels. The present invention utilizes its own logical data configuration called the Continuous Custodial Application Data Channel (CCADCH) This two way data packet messaging system is designed to provide a viable platform for implementing a wide spectrum of continuous custodial electronic monitoring (CCEM) bearer services for existing cellular mobile radio, personal communications systems (PCS) and Global System for Mobile (GSM) in use throughout the world. More importantly, there is a desperate social and economic need to provide efficient, cost effective and secure continuous custodial electronic monitoring (CCEM) systems. Present home arrest technology is antiquated, expensive, and unreliable. The present invention provides a comprehensive and complete wireless radio solution to the desperate needs of the corrections industry. Prison systems today are overcrowded and dangerous. Many non-violent offenders do not need to be incarcerated, and should be placed in the community to maintain a job, and contribute to society instead of draining our diminishing tax base. Housing convicted criminals cost the tax payer anywhere from $20,000 to $30,000 per inmate a year. Building new prisons drain state and federal resources. Home arrest program costs are paid by the offender. In this way offenders contribute to society, shoulder the cost of the program. In addition, the home arrest subject is required to maintain employment and pay his fair share of taxes, and pay restitution to property crime victims. The present invention is designed to monitor the non violent offender which takes up to 60% of prison bed space in today's corrections world.
Another problem with present home arrest systems is that they are extremely limited in many functions. Typically most home arrest subjects are required to adhere to a rigid schedule of behavior such as designated curfews, call in times, drug and alcohol testing and periodic verification of whereabouts by program officials. For example, a home arrest program participant will be required to report to his place of residence after his work hours. Usually the home arrest subject is allowed to go to a grocery store and complete other errands after work hours, but then must be home at specific time. Once he arrives at home, the stationary communicator detect the carrier wave of his leg transmitter and sends verification data over the land line telephone network to a central monitoring station. As long as the communicator detects the carrier wave of the leg transmitter, no violation reporting is needed. If however, the home arrest subject moves far away enough from the communicator, its radio receiver no longer detect the carrier wave of the leg transmitter. The communicator shifts into violation status, and sends violation data over the land line telephone network to the central monitoring station, and central monitoring staff report the violation to the appropriate custodial agency. Another problem with current home arrest technology is that after the subject leaves his residence, there is no effective way to detect his whereabouts, and behavior. Present procedures require a parole officer to drive by the participant's place of employment, stick a radio receiver out the window of his car, or exit his car and try to detect the carrier wave of the participant's leg band. This approach often does not work because of the propagation characteristics of radio waves inside of buildings, interference from work related systems and other signal power factors. Also, the parole officer's time could be used more effectively elsewhere. In today's corrections environment, parole officers and other custodial personnel are so over worked with parolee and probationer case loads, that the very idea of spending time driving by participants places in order to verify location of subject at place of employment is almost ludicrous. The present invention provides an elegant, cost effective, efficient and technically secure operational solution to the needs of the corrections industry and society as a whole.
Additionally, the present invention provides the means and methodology of creating an additional function to GSM cellular system access procedures that will be as simple and efficient as all other cellular access procedures. The present invention provides a precise and controlled application data packet methodology that logically creates a separate but compatible continuous control application (CCADCH) data protocol to existing cellular access protocols, whereby creating an elegant application data routine that becomes a normal and routine part of cellular system data management, system access, and mobile communications terminal management, while at the same time adding a much needed higher margin of safety and security for monitoring the behavior and whereabouts of sociopaths.